The American Missionary — Volume 41, No. 6, June, 1887Various
Religion
The American Missionary — Volume 41, No. 6, June, 1887
Various
Congregational churches -- Missions -- Periodicals; Home missions -- Periodicals
At the request of Senator Sherman, Gen. Grosvenor, formerly
Lieutenant Governor of Ohio and now member of Congress, was
introduced. He began by referring to the gallantry and bravery of
the colored soldiers under his command, who made the desperate
charge on the Confederate works on Overton Hill during the second
day of the battle of Nashville, and to the conviction expressed
then that the descendants of such brave, heroic men would under
freedom prove themselves worthy citizens of the country their
fathers fought to save from disruption. The General made an
excellent point in favor of higher education by an illustration
drawn from the war. He said: “When we called upon the colored men
to become soldiers, we put the best Springfield rifles into their
hands, for being under greater disadvantages than white soldiers,
they needed the best possible weapons. So for your success as
leaders and guides of your people under freedom, you need the best
weapons, and so the advantages of a higher education are provided
for you, and you should arm yourselves with the best discipline,
for you must fight your battles under unusual difficulties.”
Gen. Wheeler, a prominent citizen of Nashville, who fought on the
Confederate side, was next introduced, and spoke a few words of
most cordial greeting and congratulation.
The Mayor then tendered thanks in behalf of the party for the
cordial reception that had been extended by the University, and
announced that the limit of their time had been reached, so that
they must ask leave to retire. The whole party then visited Jubilee
Hall, and thus completed the inspection of the University. A
quotation from the report of an interview with Senator Sherman,
as published in the New York _Herald_ and quoted in the Nashville
_Daily American_ of the 3d of April, will best convey the
impression produced upon the Senator by his visit:
“Are the Southern Negroes devoting much attention to the matter of
education? I never saw anything like it. Their thirst for knowledge
has been greatly increased by the obstacles previously thrown in
their way. There are several excellent colored universities in the
South. Fisk University at Nashville is especially good. The young
men and women attending it are bright and very intelligent. The
young white people of the South must look well to their laurels or
their black neighbors will soon lead them in the race for mental
improvement.”
BY A TEACHER.
* * * * *
REMARKS OF SENATOR SHERMAN.
STENOGRAPHIC REPORT BY A FISK STUDENT.
This seems to me a very impressive scene. Most of you have grown
up, indeed most of you have been born, since the event that secured
your citizenship took place.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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